Water pipeline to be shut down

A major water pipeline serving south Orange County will be closed down Tuesday for emergency repairs expected to take eight days to complete, according to water agencies.

Residents and businesses are being asked to conserve water during the closure of the Allen-McColloch Pipeline, serving communities from Yorba Linda to San Clemente.

Kevin Hunt, general manager of the Municipal Water District of Orange County, said the region should have sufficient water during the outage, but urged consumers to be water-wise.

“Orange County consumers have done an excellent job responding to the request to save water to deal with the current water shortages from the State Water Project,” Hunt said. “This, however, is a critical repair coming during a typically warm period. We all need to continue to do our part and reduce water use while the repairs are made.”

During the outage, Metropolitan will shut down the pipeline and drain portions of the high-pressure line. After excavating, crews will cut away weakened sections of pipe and replace them, according to a statement from the agencies.

Due to the emergency nature of the repairs, local agencies did not have the six- to eight-month lead time usually provided by Metropolitan to coordinate water supply and storage options, the agencies stated.

Water-saving measures urged by the agencies include reducing outdoor watering, and refraining from filling swimming pools or spas and hosing down driveways and sidewalks until the pipeline repairs are complete.

Other methods include running only full loads of washing machines and dishwashers, not leaving the water running when washing dishes, brushing teeth or shaving, and keeping showers to five minutes.